Recipe for Sourdough Starter
For several months I've been reading - and testing - other baker's recipes, tips and tricks for all things sourdough. I like the idea that I can make bread out of flour, salt, water and air -- and not just any bread -- the most wonderful of all breads... Sourdough!Why Sourdough?
Aside from the wonderful taste and texture, there are actually some pretty important health benefits to consider. The yeast you purchase in the store has been stabilized through a manufacturing process to act quickly and consistently to make bread rise. This quick and easy route, although commonplace now, rushes the fermentation of the wheat gluten in flour and has an effect on our digestive system. The effects of this are worse for some than others.
Research shows that using a slower method - with a sourdough starter created from the wild yeast spores that surround you (yes, there are thousands of them in your kitchen!) actually makes the starches more digestible - some say more digestible than sprouted bread! Studies have also shown that the sourdough process makes starches more digestible by "pre-digesting" them, thereby lowering insulin resistance and increasing glucose tolerance. I've read several accounts from people who said that they had previously suffered from yeast or wheat allergies, but were able to eat sourdough with no problems.
How it works:
You are basically keeping a container of wild yeast going in your own kitchen. One that you can use at any time (similar to commercial yeast) - but one that must occasionally be fed. The "Starter" or "Culture" consists of equal parts water and flour. The water and flour mix capture yeast spores from the air within your kitchen. If you've been baking bread for quite some time, you'll have a lot of these spores. If you're new to baking, not so many - but everyone has them, and they are all different. One bakery in San Francisco has been tending to their starter since the late 1800's - even managing to save it when the earthquake of 1906 took down most of the city! The yeast spores of your kitchen will make your bread uniquely your own. Who knows? With a bit of care and feeding, your Albuquerque New Mexico or Harbor Springs Michigan sourdough might become just as well known as the famous San Francisco sourdough!
You have to start with the starter.
I'll be the first to admit that maintaining a sourdough starter is not for everyone. If you don't have time for a house plant, you're probably not going to want to care and feed a little bowl of sourdough. However, if you can see yourself "feeding" a bit of flour and water every couple of weeks - you can do this!
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| My Goodwill find! This small crock easily holds the 2 cups of flour + 2 cups of water that make up my sourdough starter. |
Start with the appropriate vessel. I tried plastic containers - meh. Glass bowls - not bad. But then... I found the most AWESOME crock in my local Goodwill store! $1.99 provided me with a container that let in just enough air to encourage growth, but heavy enough to let that sourdough starter create its own little environment - perfect!
Recipe for The Starter
To start your own sourdough starter, or culture, mix together:2 cups flour (All Purpose or Whole Wheat work best - do not use bleached!)
2 cups warm (not hot) water
Stir until flour is completely mixed in, then set it aside on the counter and leave it for a couple of days. You'll start to see bubbles, which indicate that you did it! You captured that wild yeast and made it your own. You are now the proud owner of sourdough starter.
Care and Feeding
Now that you've captured the wild yeast, you have to care for it. I only use mine about once a week, so I keep it in the refrigerator in between uses. I let it warm up for an hour or so before using it to bake something. If you won't be using your starter for two weeks or more, scoop out about a cup and toss it in the sink. Then refresh the remaining starter with 1 cup each of fresh water and flour. Mix it together and let it set for an hour or two before placing it back into the refrigerator.
Using it
I've put several recipes here on the blog for you to try, but don't be afraid to experiment on your own. I generally use one cup of starter in place of commercial yeast in most of my bread recipes without changing the of the amounts of the other ingredients. The one thing that does change, however, is the time it takes for the bread to rise. With commercial yeast, dough with no sugar added would rise in 2-3 hours, even faster if it's a recipe that calls for molasses or sugar. With sourdough, simply adjust your schedule to allow the bread dough to rise for 12-18 hours (including loaf rise time). For me, this is not a problem, I simply put all the ingredients together before I go to bed and in the morning I create the loaves and let them sit and rise for most of the day. In the afternoon, I bake the bread. Although it takes longer for the sourdough recipes, the dough is very forgiving - you can leave it alone for 24 hours and it will still be OK. Don't worry if you're late getting home from work, you'll still have some wonderful bread.
Some recipes to get you started: Sourdough Sandwich Bread, Sourdough Pumpernickel, Sourdough Biscuits, Sourdough Pancakes.
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